2008

Scioto County Coroner Terry A. Johnson, D.O., announced today that he will be deployed with the Ohio Army National Guard (OHARNG) in 2009 to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 9.

“I have been expecting this for some time, but now it’s official,” Johnson said. “I have been selected and given a report date in early 2009 for Fort Benning, GA.”

Dr. Johnson announced that no interruption in coroner service will take place and he will continue in his position as Scioto County Coroner while on military duty, as stipulated by Ohio law. His tour is expected to last approximately three and a half months, during which Scioto County’s Chief Deputy Coroner Wayne Wheeler, MD, will coordinate operations for the Scioto County Coroner’s Office.

“This is my third trip over, so we have done this before,” Johnson said. “I maintain a staff of deputies who cover the county when I am not available. I have worked hard to put together this team. The deputies are well qualified to handle any and all issues. I am grateful that Drs. Wheeler, George Pettit, Robert Newman and Darren Adams will be here to serve the people of Scioto County while I do my duty. I’m blessed to work with such an exceptional group of doctors.”

Johnson holds a commission as a US Army colonel and is the commander of the Ohio Army National Guard’s Medical Detachment. Since the beginning of the Global War On Terrorism in 2001, he has overseen statewide medical operations necessary to deploy Ohio’s citizen soldiers.

In addition to his duties as coroner, Johnson is the director of the Family Practice Residency program for Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC). He is an assistant dean and clinical associate professor of family medicine at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUCOM). He supervises resident physicians and medical students at the Lucasville Family Practice Center. Patient hours at Lucasville will continue in his absence.

“The support I have received from SOMC and from OUCOM has been exceptional. I could not work for finer institutions. They are backing me 100 percent, just as they do for all their military employees. This is the kind of support that every soldier across America should receive. SOMC and Ohio University go above and beyond in their support of America’s soldiers. Our community can take great pride in this. I also can’t say enough about the support I have received from my constituents, the good people of Scioto County. It is wonderful to live in a place where people support the troops and value their service. They recognize that my mission as an Army doctor is to look after our kids who are over there serving us.”

Johnson’s first trip to Iraq came in the spring of 2004, when he was stationed in Baghdad and the Green Zone. He re-deployed in the spring of 2006 as a Task Force Flight Surgeon, supporting a special helicopter unit operating in Kuwait and Iraq. The upcoming 2009 mission will see him perform similar duties for an Ohio Aviation Battalion, the 1-137th Assault Helicopter Battalion. The Battalion will be operating out of bases north of Baghdad. As on previous deployments, Johnson will maintain communication with his various offices while in Iraq through frequent calls and email.

Johnson also pointed out that he is just one of many from our community and Ohio who have been called to duty. “My hat goes off to all who have been activated, and for the members of our full-time military who continue to do such an incredible job. My family and I pray for the safe return of each and every one.”

Shawn Jordan has been named the director of Community Relations at Southern Ohio Medical Center.

In this position, Jordan will plan, coordinate and implement public relations and communication programs, both internally and externally, to provide increased understanding and awareness of the services provided at SOMC.

Jordan has been an employee of SOMC for the past 11 years, holding previous titles as manager of Workforce Development and marketing communications specialist of Community Relations.

She received her bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Journalism and Theater from Morehead State University and her graduate certificate in Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University. She is currently pursing her master’s of science in Healthcare Administration.

Jordan resides in Wheelersburg with her husband, Chris, and their three children. To contact her, please call (740) 356-2716.

Community of Christ-Pleasant Valley vacation Bible school children recently made more than 100 bears for patients of SOMC Hospice, part of Southern Ohio Medical Center. Debbie Hogan (right) of the church presented the bears to Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Beverly Stringer.

The LIFE Center of Southern Ohio Medical Center has added a new line of massage-therapy services to its Wheelersburg facility.

Tiffany Slusher, licensed massage therapist of the Wheelersburg LIFE Center, is now accepting clients. Slusher is a graduate of Hocking College and has been a practicing massage therapist for four years. She is certified to perform Swedish, deep-tissue and hot-stone forms of massage therapy.

Both 30-minute and hour-long sessions are available and appointments are necessary. To schedule or for more information, please contact Tiffany Slusher at the Wheelersburg LIFE Center at (740) 574-4022.

Orthopedic medicine at Southern Ohio Medical Center is taking a healthy step forward in knee replacements, with new technologies that are bringing less invasive surgery with a potentially lower risk of infection and blood loss, less anesthesia time and faster recovery time.

Orthopedic surgeons James Pettey, MD, and Gerardo Trinidad, MD, are each adopting variations in surgical technology that allow the replacement joint to be anchored in ways that more closely resemble the patient’s anatomy.

Conventional knee replacement surgery has usually meant preparing the bone using standardized cutting blocks that come in pre-determined sizes. The surgeon measures the dimensions of the ends of the thigh and leg bones and uses the closest approximate size.

New technological approaches allow for more precisely sized blocks that are specially made to match the individual patient’s anatomy.

“An MRI scan is made of the patient’s leg,” Dr. Trinidad said. “Then the manufacturer takes that scan and creates a block that is much closer to the size of the patient’s original anatomy.”

In a total knee replacement, the old joint is removed, along with any associated tissue impacted by trauma, disease such as arthritis or other conditions. The ends of the thigh and leg bones are trimmed down using the special cutting blocks and the implants are anchored to the bones with pins and special cement.

“The result is a smaller incision, less trauma to the patient, a faster procedure, lower risk of infection and faster recovery,” Dr. Trinidad said. He is currently involved in trials for a new technological procedure, one of only six hospitals nationwide offering the approach.

“The technology uses computer software to evaluate MRI images of the arthritic knee and calculate the amount of joint surface which has been lost to arthritis,” Dr. Pettey explained. “The cutting blocks are a tool the surgeon can then use to remove a specific amount of bone and thus replace the arthritic knee.”

Dr. Pettey can be reached at (740) 353-7017. Dr. Trinidad is available at (740) 351-0980.

Janet Cooper, RN, BSN, CMS, has been named Assistant Nurse Manager of the One West nursing unit at Southern Ohio Medical Center. Cooper started with SOMC in 1976 and has been working on One West since 1999.

A graduate of Shawnee State University with an associate degree in nursing, she received her bachelor of science in nursing from Capital University and her certification in medical-surgical nursing in 2005. She is a member of the organization’s Skin Care Team, Nursing Design Team, and One West’s Strategic Value Leadership Team.

Cooper and her husband, Ron, live in the Blue Creek area and have two grown sons.

Regional leaders in ministry and nursing will come together in October for a special conference addressing issues that connect personal faith and both spiritual and physical well-being.

“Serving The Least of These In Your Faith Community” will include three days of pre-conference and conference activities open to registered and licenses practical nurses, health ministers, pastors and nursing students.

The sessions will include a pre-conference from 1 to 4:20 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10 , and conference sessions and activities from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 11. The events will be at Carter Caves State Resort Park in Kentucky.

Topics will address health ministry, faith community nursing, supporting families with addiction, depression, special needs, and a panel on spiritual care. Poster presentations and discussions are also planned.

Everyone interested in attending is encouraged to call 888-635-2200 for fee information and to register prior to Oct. 3.

The event is presented by the Shawnee State University Department of Nursing, Southern Ohio Medical Center Congregational Partnerships, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Healthy Community Services, river Cities Health Ministries, Area Health eudcation Center Constortium for Health and Education in Appalachia Ohio (CHEAO).

Yih-Dar Nien, MD, has been welcomed to the staff of Southern Ohio Medical Center and is practicing with Southern Ohio Surgical Associates.

Dr. Nien received his medical degree from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. He completed his residency in general surgery at Marshall University, Huntington, WV; an internship in general surgery and a fellowship in wound healing research at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. He has successfully completed part 1 of the American Board of Surgery certification. His areas of interest include all aspects of general surgery including thyroid, breast, gallbladder and colon surgery.

Dr. Nien can be reached at Southern Ohio Surgical Associates, 1611 27th St., Braunlin Building Suite 306. Call (740) 353-8661 for an appointment or more information.